Valve



A ril 18, 1967 ,H. v. WHITE, JR 3,

VALVE Filed Nov. 20, 1964 v a Sheets-$heet 1 1 2 INVENTOR HERBERT v. WHITE April 18, 1967 H. v. WHITE, JR 3,

VALVE Filed Nov. 20, 1964 V I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HERBERT v. WHITE April 18, 1967 v w JR 3,314,444

VALVE I Filed Nov. 20, 1964 3 sheets-sheet :s

5 F 4 F v 9 2.

4 .INVENTOR HERBERT v. WHITE Patented Apr. 18, 1967 3,314,444 VALVE Herbert Vernon White, .Ir., Berger, Tex., assignor to J. M. Huber Corporation, Locust, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,745 1 Claim. (Cl. 137377) The present invention relates to a valve and more particularly to the outlet valve of a railroad hopper car.

Hopper car valves of the prior art have been highly complicated structures which often times jammed so that they could not be readily opened and closed for discharging the powdered materials from the hopper car at its destination.

The prior art valves were also generally built onto the hopper car so that their repair and/or replacement became a major cost item necessitating the shopping of the car.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a railroad hopper car discharge valve which is simple in construction and operation, and which is leak proof in transit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railroad hopper car discharge valve which can be readily attached and detached from the hopper car with standard tools.

A further object of the invention is to provide a discharge valve for railway hopper cars which is positive in action, less expensive to manufacture, and which can be locked in a number of adjusted open positions.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows with the bottom cover removed;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the invention with the bottom cover removed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a hopper car discharge valve constructed in accordance with the invention.

The hopper car discharge valve 10 is mounted on the converging bottom walls 11 of a hopper car hopper by means of an adapter flange 12 integrally secured thereto as by welding. The adapter flange 12 has a horizontal plate 13 formed thereon with an upwardly and outwardly extending flange 14 integrally secured to the plate 13 and positioned in contact with the lower ends of the downwardly converging walls 11. The flange 14 is welded to the walls 11 integrally securing the plate 13 to the bottom of the walls 11 in a horizontal plane and in outwardly extending relation with respect to the bottom edge of the walls 11. The plate 13 has a large central opening 15 extending therethrough corresponding to the lower edges of the converging side walls 11.

A valve body generally indicated at 16 includes a generally cylindrical side wall 17 having a horizontal flange 13 integrally formed on the upper edge thereof in outwardly extending relation. The flange 18 is identical in shape to the horizontal plate 13 and a plurality of bolt holes 19 are formed in the plate 13 and flange 18 as can be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4.

A plurality of bolts 20 extend through the bolt holes 19 and secure the flange 18 to the flat plate 13.

The flange 18 is generally rectangular in form and is provided with downwardly and inwardly converging walls 21 at each corner thereof to form a smooth connection between the straight walls 11 of the hopper and the cylindrical side walls 17.

An outwardly extending horizontal strengthening rib R is integrally formed on the cylindrical side wall 71 adjacent the lower edge thereof. Three pairs of closely adjacent parallel ears 22 are integrally secured to the side wall 17 in a generally horizontal plane equispaced about the side wall 17. A bolt 23 having a ring 24 formed on one end thereof is positioned with the ring 24 between the parallel ears 22 and is pivotally secured therebetween by a bolt 25 which passes through the cars 22 and through the ring 24 of the bolt 23. The opposite end of each of the bolts 23 is provided with a nut 26 and a washer 27.

A circular bottom cover late 28 is arranged for engagement with the lower edge 29 of the side wall 17 as can be seen in FIGURE 1. The cover plate 28 has three pairs of closely spaced parallel ears 30 integrally secured to the outer edge thereof and arranged for underlying relation with respect to the ears 22. With the cover 28 in position in contact with the lower edge 29 of the side Wall 17 the bolts 23 extend between the ears 30 with the nuts 26 and washers 27 engaging the underside of the ears 30 to secure the cover plate 28 in tight engagement with the lower edge 29 of the side wall 17.

A shaft 31 extends horizontally across the valve body 16 and has its outer end 32 journaled in a boss 33 integrally formed on the side wall 17. An opposite end portion 34 of the shaft 31 is journaled in a boss 35 integrally formed on the opposite side of the side wall 17. The boss 35 is generally rectangular in form and has a plurality of adjustment bores 36 formed therein along an are having its center coaxial with the shaft 31. A bolt 37 is pivotally secured to the boss 35 by means of a bolt 38 extending therethrough.

The shaft 31 has an offset extension 39 integrally formed on the end thereof adjacent the opposite end portion 34. A pair of depending spaced apart parallel ears 40 are integrally formed on the shaft 31 and extend oppositely of the offset extension 39. A generally circular valve plate 41 extends through a slot 42 formed in the shaft 31 and is secured therein by means of bolts 43. The valve plate 41 is slightly larger in diameter transversely of the shaft 31 than the o ening in the circular side wall 17 so that the valve plate 41 is not horizontal when it reaches its fully closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The bolt 37 as can be seen in FIGURE 1 engages between the ears 40 and has the nut 44 thereof securing the ears 40 to prevent rotation of the shaft 31 in a direction to open the valve plate 41.

An upwardly and outwardly sloping handle 45 is detachably secured to the offset extension 39 by means of a pair of bolts 46. A sleeve 47 is integrally formed on the handle 45 and extends horizontally outwardly therefrom. The sleeve 47 also extends inwardly through the ofifset extension 39. The sleeve 47 has a latch pin 48 slideably extending therethrough with an offset handle portion 49 integrally formed on the outer end thereof. The latch pin 48 has a washer keeper 50 detachably secured to the inner end thereof and a coil spring 51 is mounted on the latch pin 48 between the sleeve 47 and the washer keeper 50 to normally urge the latch pin 48 inwardly toward the boss 35 for engagement in a selected one of the adjustment bores 36. The outer end of the sleeve 47 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed 3 of the adjustment bores 36. The latch pin 48 when withdrawn from the adjustment bores 36 can be pivoted so that the cross pin 53 engages the outer end of the sleeve 47 instead of the slots 52 and thus holds the latch pin 48 in retracted position. The pressure needed on the handle 45 to open the valve plate 41 often requires two hands and with the latch pin 48 retained in a retracted position both hands are free to put pressure on the handle 45.

In the use and operation of the invention the flange 14 is first secured to the converging walls 11 of the hopper following which the valve body 16 is bolted thereto by the bolts 29, The valve plate 41 is swung to closed position by means of the handle 45 and the bolt 37 is positioned between the ears 40 with the nut 44 drawn up tight to lock the shaft 31 against rotation.

The cover plate 28 is then positioned against the lower end of the side Wall 17 and the bolts 23 are used to secure the cover plate 28 thereto. The hopper car is then loaded through it stop hatches and is moved to its destination. At the destination the cover plate 28 is removed, bolt 37 is released and the latch pin 48 is retracted to permit the shaft 31 to be turned by means of a handle 45. The shaft 31 is turned to the desired opening of the valve plate 41 and the latch pin 48 is then engaged in one of the openings 36 to hold the valve plate 41 at the desired angle of opening.

The entire contents of the hopper car may be emptied at one time or if desired the valve 16 may be closed at any and re-opened as desired to dispense the contents of the hopper car in any desired increment.

While the adapter flange 12 has been illustrated as having both a horizontal plate 13 and an integral upwardly and outwardly sloping flange 14, it should be understood that any structure which includes a flat plate having the same shape as the flange 18 and to which the flange 18 can be attached may be used.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of l said body and extending outwardly therefrom, said horizontal flange being adapted for engagement with said flange plate, means detachably securing said flange plate to said flange in underlying relation thereto, a horizontal shaft extending transversely of said valve body with its opposite end portions journaled in said valve body, said shaft having an elongated slot formed therein intermediate the opposite end portions thereof, a valve plate extending through said slot and detachably secured to said shaft within said valve body, said valve plate being moveable upon rotation of said shaft from an open position parallel to the axis of said valve body to a closed position substantially transverse of said valve body with the peripheral edge of said valve plate in contactwith the inner face of said valve body, a boss formed on the outer surface of said valve body with one end of said shaft extending through said. boss, an offset extension integrally formed on the end of said shaft adjacent said boss, a handle detachably secured to said offset extension, a sleeve rigidly secured to said handle, a latch pin mounted in said sleeve for sliding movement toward said boss, means spring biasing said latch pin toward said boss, said boss having a plurality of arcuately spaced bores for receiving said latch pin, means for detachably securing said latch pin in retracted position out of engagement with said bores, a bolt pivotally secured to said boss, 21 pair of closely spaced ears integrally formed on said offset extension, a nut detachably mounted on said bolt, said bolt being adapted for engagement between said ears with said nut in engagement with said ears whereby said shaft is locked against rotationrwith said valve plate in closed position, a cover, means securing said cover to said valve body comprising a plurality of bolts pivotally secured to said valve body and adapted for detachable engagement with said cover for detachably'securing said cover to the ,lower end of said valve body in underlying relation to said valve plate. 4

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED srArns PATENTS 2,073,513 3/1937 Dietriehsonet al. -248 2,745,360 5/1956 Lunde 105 307 M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner. V HENRY KLINKSIEK, Examiner. 

